Migration
by Thess
Summary: Several birds migrate at some point during the year. At the end of the war, Seras discovers the soul of a dead Goose is no exception to the rules. PxS and some AxI. One shot. Manga ficlet.


Disclaimer: Hellsing belongs to Kouta Hirano.

Author's Notes: Edited by Ciarda Rois, set after the war (spoilers up to volume 8. I am using the German and Spanish versions of vamping and German volume 7 take on Pip's fate). Possible AU. There are animal symbolisms included, so I warn that. This will be remain one shot for now but I may write a continuation, another one shot. Written for 30 kisses, using the themes "the road home" and "cradle" for the PipxSeras couple.

* * *

**Migration**

Seras shut her eyes and covered herself with her shadow tendril to shield her delicate senses to the explosion not so far above her head. The Zeppelin Hindenburg II had suffered the fortune of its predecessor and was now a fiery blaze that collapsed to the ground.

She coughed from mere instinct and tried to move backwards as the curtain of smoke arose and the temperature in the atmosphere increased. The noises of the fallen carcasses and the Nazis roasting inside the once proud warship stirred a triumphal emotion inside her chest.

_We did it!_ Seras exclaimed, jumping on her heels. _We defeated them!_ She opened her eyes to discern the victory of the flaming destruction. _Millennium is gone, Captain!_ She heard him laugh inside her; it was contagious for she soon joined him.

_Cool, Mignonette,_ Pip answered, _I don't think this Goose could have stood the winter any longer. _Seras stopped laughing suddenly and her expression shifted into worry. _The road home is ahead me, Seras. Don't put that face, this goose has to migrate someday._

Seras felt her words die in her throat; her thoughts were overwhelmed by the strong emotions of loss and mirth. She had experienced so much in a brief span of time and there was not even a minute to lament anymore. "I understand," she finally said quietly, fighting her tears.

_Hey, Batgirl, don't cry. We knew the rules when we joined. I may not be Robin but I am a Wild Goose and we are watchful guardians that fulfil our duty to the end. Trust me_, the Captain's voice was weakening as his presence faded from inside her body. When his spirit left, she remained still on her lone spot, confused and lost for a couple of seconds. She could not move until she was able to push aside her grief and swallow the tears that blurred her vision.

Seras stumbled alone and aimlessly through the ruins, making her way through the smoke and fire. She stopped when the noises of footsteps approaching ahead of her was becoming more notable. "Master?" she asked, uncertain until the tall vampire appeared in her view. He was carrying a badly wounded Integral in his arms, her coat was stained red and she would not stop coughing.

"Seras Victoria," Alucard acknowledged, his expression unreadable for a moment.

"Sir Integral!" Seras exclaimed, trying to reach for her leader but her Master moved away from her path. "She needs medical attention!"

"She fought until the end as a human," Alucard cleared up, shaking his head. "Defeated her foes like this, never giving up," a smile curled up his lips, his tone was filled with appraisal. "She has earned something that medicine cannot afford."

Seras was taken aback, "Those wounds… what caused them? A stray fragment?" she ventured, shiftily, recalling the night of Cheddar. She examined Integral closely, her collar had been unbuttoned, the cravat discarded but her blonde hair covered the view of her bare neck.

"You should hurry, Seras Victoria," Alucard tilted his head in direction to the Mansion. "Your Wild Goose has migrated, _Batgirl,_" he mocked; in good spirits as his hand stroked the slumbering Integral's head. Seras flinched at the new moniker; she could never win with him, could she? "This old Dragon and the wounded Eagle need to migrate as well."

Seras lifted an eyebrow; maybe she was slow due to the sheer incredibility of everything happening around her far too fast that his implications did not sink until Alucard was gone in a dramatic exit with a swirl of crimson and black. Several cadavers were gone with them, his souls and claims; she could not spot a single corpse that did not belong to a civilian, Iscariot or Walter. She passed quickly, not looking at the bodies of Anderson or the kind Angel of Death, her Master's words still lingering in her head.

"Master!" she shouted aloud, the city echoed her calling. She was alone. "Master!" she tried again without success. She leaped in the sky, in a pointless quest to finding any trace of him or Sir Integral. _Why should I hurry to migrate?_ Seras asked herself the meaning of his words. Pip had said something similar. _He said I should trust him but he's gone…_she mused sadly then felt it, a link, and a forming bond with a familiar psyche.

Seras whirled into the Mansions direction, flying as fast as she could, ignoring the smoke and hot wind against her cold skin, her determination was unstoppable to get home. She dipped down, as the building appeared, breaking down another window in her landing as she followed Pip's scent.

There were shouts and sounds of automatic weapons being loaded before her.

"Lower your weapons!" one of the mercenaries ordered. "It's just our girl."

Seras glanced at them, relieved to see them all right. "We won but Mas-Alucard has taken Sir Integral away," she explained quickly to the dumbfounded soldiers. "Please, we need to stop him before he goes away."

"We'll use our contacts; he won't come out this country without our knowledge."

Seras smiled brightly and nodded, "Thank you. Please, now, leave me alone. I cannot explain but the Captain is…"

"You don't have to explain, Sir. We understand." They grinned and saluted, then left to her pleasant surprise. To be respected - to be _obeyed_ - was new for her.

As soon they were gone, Seras loomed over Pip's body; his corpse had acquired an ethereal glow and cleanness despite the serious wounds in the back, abdomen and thighs. _They are healing_, she noticed in wonder, kneeling and taking Pip with her shadow tendril, forming a frightening cradle to hold him still as the spasms overcame his form. She nuzzled at his temple, afraid to lose him if her grip was not strong enough.

"Captain…" she murmured when his body went still and he spat blood out his mouth. Seras looked down him; Pip looked comical with the pair of fangs he was sporting, _Nicotine yellow canines_. She snickered. "So the guardian Goose has returned to his post. And this time has long teeth," she teased, feeling her weariness vanished by the feeling of Pip, not dead, near her body.

"That's right," Pip smirked. "I told you to trust me."

"But how… you aren't virgin, unless not even a prostitute would accept money to do you," Seras commented with annoyance, despite that her eyes gleamed in happiness. Pip frowned and scoffed. "Oh! Right," she realized her foolishness. "Draculs turn virgin women; the draculinas don't have the chastity rule with men. I almost forgot about that," she mumbled, a rather stupid mistake but at least it ended well.

"Oh yeah?" Pip furrowed his eyebrows.

"You didn't know?" Seras stated, horrified.

"Hey, you are the older vampire and you just remembered it!" Pip gave a shrug, snuggling closer to her jaw. "I was only informed how to kill them."

"Then why were you sure you would turn?" The Captain could not be that stupid to risk becoming a ghoul.

"I didn't until recently. The virgin stuff was bullshit. Look at your old man," Pip elaborated, as he tried to move but could not. He was a weak newborn like she was when first awoke as an undead. "There is no way the sexy beam beast was a monk in life."

Seras blushed, she had never thought about that. The sex life of her Master was never a subject she preferred to dwell on. "Oh," she gasped, remembering Integral. "You need to recover soon because we'll have to dashingly rescue our boss from him. We'll find you a good blood package."

"I am hungry mummy, give me teat," Pip whined, bending down mockingly to nip one of her breasts. She squeezed hard in reproach with her tendril. His eye bugged comically out of his socket. "Mean, torturing your baby like this."

"Do you really want me to treat you as a child, Captain?" Seras asked, mildly curious. Her cradle of shadows rocked him gently as her hand moved behind his head, stroking the strands of hair.

"Depends what gets me more contact," Pip replied, shamelessly leering in a good-natured manner that enticed her to act. With alacrity, Seras moved to capture his lips by surprise, kissing him deeply, lowering her eyelids as he returned her passion.

_I don't want to mother you,_ she thought, deepening the kiss, her fangs brushed his bottom lip, menacing to tear into the pliable flesh.

Seras allowed herself a moment of selfish wish fulfilling in which her shadow cradled both from the outside worlds concerns. They would stop Alucard's migration somehow but for a moment, she made her long journey home worthwhile.


End file.
